– Ask your health care providers to clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before they examine you or check your wound.

– Be sure family and friends clean their hands before and after visiting you.

– Do not allow visitors to touch the surgical wound or dressings.

– Make sure you understand how to care for your wound before you leave the hospital.

– If you have any symptoms of an infection, such as redness and pain at the surgery site, drainage or fever, call your doctor immediately.

I read online about taking zinc lozenges to help with colds. What is your opinion? – Deirdre, Portland

Unfortunately, there is still no cure for the common cold. Zinc has been a controversial treatment for colds since the first 1984 study. Recently, a new study out of Finland suggests zinc in certain formulations and at higher doses may shorten the length of a cold.

Dr. Harri Hemila of the University of Helsinki reviewed 13 zinc studies. Three found that zinc acetate in daily doses of more than 75 milligrams shortened a cold's duration by 42 percent on average.

The data look pretty good, but there were only a small number of study participants.

Also remember zinc has side effects including loss of smell associated with zinc-containing Zicam nasal products.

In my opinion, more studies need to be done. However, should you get a cold, zinc acetate at 75 milligrams per day in lozenge or syrup may be beneficial and probably won't hurt.